


Days of Absolution

by AdaVee



Category: Camp Lazlo!, The Mighty B! (TV)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22074646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdaVee/pseuds/AdaVee
Summary: This work came to me in a dream. A Mighty B! and Camp Lazlo crossover fic. Camp Kidney experiences an upheaval when they and the Squirrel Scouts coexist, and even crazier hijinks happen when Bessie Higgenbottom makes her grand entrance. Things only become weirder from there...
Relationships: Lazlo/Raj
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue to Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camp Kidney experiences a strange upheaval!

5:00 AM.

Lazlo's alarm beeped and whined. It screeched furiously, as if it grew angry at his defiance. Eventually, it settled down as it became clear he was fast asleep.

6:00 AM.

Raj twisted and turned in his sleep. His dreams grew ever more tumultuous and bizarre. As if they were visions of a dark future. Yet, when he felt Lazlo's soft fur, even in his sleep, he smiled. He knew his best friend and confidant was there no matter what.

7:00 AM.

Clam still stood awake. Watching the two. He hadn't slept in ages. He didn't need to anymore. But it would have been neat regardless.

"RISE AND SHINE, CAMP KIDNEY!" Slinkman's voice blared over the intercom and into the cabins of the Bean Scouts. The slug had taken over for the week from the ailing scoutmaster, who was still recovering from his years-long isolation. Slinkman relished the opportunity to lead. Even with no spine to speak of, he enjoyed the possibilities that came about; he only wanted the best possible future for the Bean Scouts--his surrogate sons as it were.

The Bean Scouts rose from their bunks and beds--some happily, some groggily--and saluted the flag of Camp Kidney. They began their daily routines of the morning, and prepared themselves for the day ahead. Yet, even after showers and breakfast, Slinkman was oddly silent today. When the Scouts gathered in the center of the camp for their daily announcements, Slinkman was nowhere to be seen. Or heard. It was as if he mysteriously disappeared after greeting the Bean Scouts. Apprehension, fear, joy, confusion--myriad emotions arose in place of this strange absence. Even with these feelings permeating the atmosphere, there was stark silence in the camp. And then, one brave voice let itself be known.

"The heck is Slinkman?!" Lazlo broke the silence, and with it, discussions erupted among the Bean Scouts.

"Maybe he got tired and offed himself. Maybe he hoped we'd find him and be traumatized," said Edward, ever the cynic.

"Perhaps he has simply fallen back asleep?" Raj postulated. "It _is_ rather taxing to be running a summer camp by oneself. He does deserve a break for what he does for us."

"Yeah for what he does for us," Clam repeated instantly.

"Nah, he's probably dead," Edward answered back.

As the rest of the Bean Scouts bickered and complained behind him, Lazlo simply thought to himself, "It isn't like Slinkman to just wander off like this. It might seem strange, but just sitting around, doing nothing won't solve this mystery!" He sprang up from his sitting position, and ran towards the scoutmaster's cabin with a vigor that could only be described as extraordinary. Raj noticed this, and with concern for his friend foremost in his mind, ran after him. "Lazlo, you fool," Raj cried for him, "this is not the time for bravado! You could sprain your ankle! Imagine how painful it'd be!" Lazlo ignored his pleas, pressing forward.

Lazlo had managed to grab the handle of the door before Skip and Chip, ever the muscle of Camp Kidney, grabbed him and pulled him back; Lazlo's hand was still stuck to the doorknob, ready to turn it and enter. "Lazlo, you buffoon," Edward taunted from afar, "I already said the slug is dead. Let it be. Gives us free reign to do what we want in this trash heap of a camp." Once again, Lazlo's thirst for knowledge overpowered his reason--what little there was in the first place--and his resolve grew.

"I. NEED. TO. KNOW." Lazlo grit his teeth and pushed against the dung beetle twins with his legs; an unnatural amount of strength permeated from them, sending Skip and Chip flying backwards. The rest of the camp looked on in awe of Lazlo's commitment to his cause, and he entered into the scoutmaster's cabin, eyes bloodshot with excitement.

It was in an instant his excitement faded.

The scoutmaster's cabin... was vandalized. Strewn about the floor were the pictures once hanging on the walls, the furniture punctured and shredded to bits, and every nook and cranny ransacked. It was unlike anything the scouts had seen before.

One by one, they entered the cabin, faces solemn with the knowledge that Slinkman was, quite obviously, truly gone. A feeling of fear came over them; the joy of freedom overcome with the worry of vulnerability. Even Clam, ever the stoic, felt unease.

"Yoohoo! Camp Kidney!"

Suddenly, a kind, motherly, yet shrill voice came from the woods. Scoutmaster Jane had appeared from what seemed like the aether. The Squirrel Scout scoutmaster, in Camp Kidney? A strange occurrence, to be sure.

"Scoutmaster Jane? What are you doing here? Where's Slinkman?" Lazlo asked her with genuine curiosity and worry.

"That's part of the surprise, deary!" Scoutmaster Jane had a wistful, mischievous tone of voice, like a pixie playing a trick on the unsuspecting boys. She wagged her finger playfully, beckoning the Bean Scouts to Acorn Flats. Once again, apprehension filled the air.

"She probably had something to do with Slinkman and the cabin," Edward whispered. "She's probably hoping to be rid of us soon too."

"Edward! Enough of that! Let's all be more optimistic!" Lazlo, despite his shaken mood earlier, returned to his regular happy-go-lucky self, and discouraged naysaying and pessimism in the face of strange happenings.

"Lazlo, Lazlo, Lazlo... it's been a year since that weirdo was sent to the loony bin and you're _still_ hopelessly naive. When are you gonna learn it's always a smarter idea to have a negative impression of things first? Makes it more satisfying when the positive thing turns out to be true."

"That seems kind of counter-intuitive, Edward." Lazlo's genuine smile turned into a snarky smirk, "Seems like being proven wrong has actually made you less happy."

"Say another word, monkey boy, and we'll see who'll be waking up tomorrow morning."

"E-Edward, Lazlo has a point... excessive pessimism and negativity does generally do more harm than good," Samson meekly muttered. "It probably would do you better to--"

"Samson... baby boy. I need you to be quiet while the adults are talking," Edward said, glibly and harshly.

"Enough! We oughta be braving new horizons, like we used to a year ago! Having adventures even though we were sure we'd not make it! And we did make it! Against all odds!" Lazlo triumphantly spoke to the scouts, ever confident that things would go swimmingly. "If this sorta fear would have stopped us before, we'd have never had such a good time last year! Let's all buck up and seize the day!"

Silence.

"Yeah seize the day," Clam repeated with aplomb.

Soon the rest of the Bean Scouts were clamoring with courage and eagerness, ready to face the unknown. "Idiots," Edward muttered to himself, as he and his entourage of the dung beetles and Samson marched forward.

"Fine, Lazlo. You win. Let's see what the fuss is about."

"That's the spirit, Edward! Let's go!" Lazlo's excitement couldn't be contained; he was ready to see what the future held for him and his companions. He placed his arm around Edward's shoulder in his excitement, not even noticing the platypus slowly lifting it off of him as they walked forward into the forest.

An uneventful trek through the forest, as it was. Despite the fear of the unknown that permeated the boys' imaginations the summer before, today, there was only the excitement of what surprise Scoutmaster Jane could have hiding for the young lads. As the woods began to clear into Acorn Flats, the Bean Scouts squinted, as if a bright light was shining, and slowly opened their eyes to what was once a forbidden fruit: the lair of the Squirrel Scouts.

And before they could make sense of their surroundings once more, a familiar voice rang through the air:

"SURPRISE, Bean Scouts!"

Slinkman! He was alive! Edward, the pessimist that he is, was wrong! He hadn't abandoned the Bean Scouts; rather, he... simply moved over to Acorn Flats? Odd.

"Scoutmaster Slinkman, this is quite unlike you to worry us," Raj meekly said. "We had been going through a whole parade of emotions. It was quite tumultuous."

The slug smiled with a sense of playfulness and humility. "Sorry, boys, I wanted to leave you some hints, but Janey--uh, Scoutmaster Jane, said that it'd be better to leave you in the dark. My apologies, heheh."

"Oh, Slinkypoo, don't you worry about that now," Scoutmaster Jane reassured him, placing her hand on his back with a warm pat-pat. "Let's tell your boys the good news!"

"GOOD NEWS?" The entirety of Camp Kidney lit up with curiosity.

"Well... you boys won't worry about having to spend your summer at dinky little Camp Kidney any longer!" Slinkman's voice grew more and more elated. "Commander Hoo-Ha has decided that the Bean Scouts and Squirrel Scouts will share Acorn Flats! Isn't that grand!"

"What." Clam broke the silence that came over the Bean Scouts.

This was... unprecedented. A co-ed summer camp experience? Especially at the behest of Hoo-Ha, the overprotective caretaker of Patsy, the militaristic overseer of all scouts, Bean, Squirrel, and Tomato? Either he had gone senile, or he had a revelation from heaven itself. Either was still odd to the Bean Scouts.

"This doesn't make sense," Lazlo uncharacteristically pondered. "Slinkman, this has to be some sort of--" Lazlo's inquiries were short-lived, as from the ziplines, descending from the skies: the Squirrel Scouts! Patsy, Nina, Gretchen! The entirety of the girls of the new unified camp zoomed into the center of the camp, enthusiastic and full of youthful vigor! The Bean Scouts were surprised to see those that they thought hated them welcoming them with open arms. Perhaps, too open, as it were. Handshakes became hugs; looks of uncertainty became blushing smiles of varying levels of awkwardness... to be youthful and naive.

"Lazzy-lo!" A familiar voice rang in Lazlo's ears. It was Patsy the mongoose, ready to embrace her favorite boy in the world. "Lazlo, I'm happy as can be! Ooh, I can hardly wait for the sort of fun we'll have!" She squeaked in elation, unaware of the truth.

"Lazlo... should we tell her?" Raj asked Lazlo sneakily.

"In a minute, Raj," Lazlo responded. "Patsy! How's my favorite mongoose been doing? Haven't seen you since last month!"

Lazlo and Patsy caught up on things as they transpired in their time away, with Raj walking alongside them to the game room. The rest of the Bean and Squirrel Scouts acquainted themselves, unsure of what the future held, though hopeful for adventures and joy.

"S-see Edward? I told you excessive negativity w-was a self-defeating philosophy in life!" Samson spoke with confidence in his voice, a rare occurrence.

"...my God, this might actually be neat," Edward silently admitted.

Slinkman and Jane watched as the campers happily went about their ways, ready to enjoy the summer. They looked on with contentment in their eyes, hoping that they could watch over their charges as best as they could. Just then, a thought entered Slinkman's head, and he attracted the attention of the scouts. "WAIT! There's one last surprise. You won't believe it!"

As he said this, almost immediately, a bus designed to resemble a bee came crashing through the gates of Acorn Flats. It screeched to halt in front of the two scoutmasters, barely missing their snouts by an inch. And from it... an odd looking creature sprang forth, excited as can be. Bespectacled, blonde, buzzy... she was... interesting. And with a lisp in her voice, she said...

"Bessie Higgenbottom of the Honeybee Scouts, at your service!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! This is a labor of love for me despite its strange origins.


	2. Interlude to Strange Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bessie's first impressions aren't exactly flawless.

7:00 AM.

The cacophony of a pot and pan banging together echoed through the camp. Everyone could hear it; even the scoutmasters on its very fringes could sense the discordance from the comfort of their cabin. "Rise and shine, Acorn Bean Hive!" Bessie's lispy and enthusiastic voice accompanied the sound of metal banging and scraping. Her joy and excitement for the day ahead was not shared by her cabin mates; Lazlo and Patsy, however normally joyous and eager they were, were nothing less than annoyed by their new compatriot's nonsense.

"Bessiiiiie," Patsy slurred drearily, "you know you can wake us up a little less shockingly next tiiiiiiime..."

"No time for that today, folks!" Bessie cared little for her fellow scouts' tiredness; she craved adventure, no matter how early they had to wake up to achieve that.

Lazlo and Patsy resigned themselves and prepared for the day. It was odd, they realized--having someone even more excitable and joyful than them. It would take some acclimation, to say the least.

"Lazzy-lo, you don't feel weird about her or anything?" Patsy genuinely asked her simian pal.

"Nah, she's fine. A little strange but... people say that about us all the time, Pats!" Lazlo, despite his earlier grogginess, quickly gained a spring in his step, ready to seize the day, as he once implored his fellow Bean Scouts. "I'm sure we'll be used to this in a day or two!"

As Lazlo and Patsy readied themselves to head to the showers, a fist banged rapidly and angrily on the door. Lazlo and Patsy were hesitant to answer, a sentiment not shared by Bessie, who gleefully opened the door. "Hellooooo, fellow Acorn Bean Hi--" Her greeting was cut short by a plunger suddenly affixed to her mouth, muffling her before she could finish. Portia Gibbons, ever the snooty princess, stood before Bessie with a cadre of scouts from the new combined troop. In fact, it seemed as if everyone had journeyed up to the cabin to confront her.

"Higgenbottom. What. Is the meaning of this?" Portia sternly asked.

Bessie pulled the plunger off of her mouth, first sucking in air through her teeth from the pain of suction, and audibly gagging at the thought of a dirty instrument like that being anywhere near her. "Hey, listen, I know, it's kinda odd, but it's nothing, really!" Bessie continued to explain joyfully as the rest of the campers grew more and more perturbed. Lazlo and Patsy maintained a neutral expression, though inside, they alternated between stifling laughter and worrying if Bessie was about to be publicly executed by her fellow campers. "If anything, this is actually going easy on you guys! For example, back when he was in Genesis, Phil Collins used to wake up every day at 6 AM just to kill someone!"

"Who's Phil Collins?" Clam interjected.

"White boy, shush." Portia quickly silenced Clam and walked up to Bessie, slowly lurching towards her. Bessie bent backwards with every step, not intimidated but rather curious.

"Bessie." Portia was short in speech and tone.

"Yes, Portia?"

"If you ever do that again. You're going down the river."

Bessie's expression changed from one of confusion to one of abject fear. Perhaps, the most fear she had ever felt in her life. "Y-yes. I'll keep that in mind, Portia. You got it! N-no worries there. Heheh."

The rest of the scouts soon left, ready to start their days, even after a rather raucous awakening. Bessie, drenched in sweat and face contorted from her frowns of fear, stood still for a moment. As she stood, Lazlo and Patsy walked up to her, ready to reassure her in case she needed it. Lazlo's hand tenderly pat her shoulder. "Hey, Bess, don't sweat it!" There was genuine pep and assurance in his voice. "Folks weren't fond of either of us back when we first joined, but they came around to us!"

"Yeah!" Patsy's enthusiasm shone through. "Don't be discouraged! Just... try to know when to be wacky! I guess! It worked for me and Lazzy-lo~!"

Bessie stared at the floor, her eyes affixed to the gaps between the boards. She lifted her head back up slowly, a worried expression on her face. "As far as first impressions go... that could have been a little better." She sighed, inhaling and exhaling to bring herself back to her usual mood. "BUT! SINCE WHEN HAS THAT EVER STOPPED ME?!" Almost immediately, she bounced back; her eyes lit up once again, and the energy within her was revived! She was ready to take on the world, no matter what happened. "Nothing's gonna stop us from making the most of the summer, right, you guys?!" She hugged Lazlo and Patsy dearly and snugly, squeezing them to the point where their backs almost broke. It was fine though; neither of them could stand the thought of not doing anything for Bessie.

As the three left the cabin and headed to the showers, they were joined by their friends: Penny, Clam, Raj, Gretchen, and Nina. The feelings of bitterness subsided, and the friends eagerly embraced each other.

"Hey uh, sorry about that stuff earlier," Bessie meekly apologized. "Sometimes I forget that camp life is different than home life! Strange, isn't it, heheh?"

Raj glared at her for a moment, not out of anger, but of curiosity. "This is your first time at a summer camp? I cannot be angry at you for not knowing, if that is the case."

"Ohhhh, heheh, I appreciate that," Bessie shyly acknowledged, blushing and smiling in her own goofy way. "Ooo! I almost forgot! Before we hit the showers, anyone up for some improv calisthenics?! It's shown to increase group cohesion and form stronger bonds between campers! Plus, if we do it before showers, we can just wash off the sweat! Easy breezy!"

Raj was somewhat enamored by her spunk and energy. It reminded him of Lazlo, back when they first became friends. Any ill feelings he had towards her dissipated rather quickly. In fact, he was too busy meekly smiling to answer her. Gretchen picked up the slack. "HECK YEAH," she bellowed. "Let's get fit! The friendship can come later though. You gotta earn that, human."

"Okay folks, let's start off easy!" Bessie readied herself, excited to start the impromptu session. "100 jumping jacks, go!" She and Gretchen began immediately, their blinding speed leaving the others caught off guard. Before the rest had even reached 10, they had finished.

"Higgenbottom, you cheat!" Gretchen pointed at Bessie accusingly. "You skipped the 95th! That's not fair!"

"Gretchen, can I call ya Gretch? I think you're mistaken, my friend. It seems that you did an extra jack, thus messing up your perception of time and action. I commend your--" Gretchen pressed her finger to Bessie's lips to shush her. "Enough fancy talk, Bess! Only way to make sure we're on the same page is to do another round! 'Sides, it'll take these folks way too long to catch up anyways," Gretchen smugly whispered to her.

And thus, Bessie and Gretchen did their jumping jacks, all while moving forward to the showers. If Bessie's intelligence didn't impress Gretchen, at least her commitment to physical fitness and bodily strength proved she was worthy of positive attention. While they continued, rapidly moving forward, the rest of the group watched on, somewhat confused but also relieved.

"You guys don't need to worry about Bessie," Penny reassured them. "She's got some odd ways, but a good heart."

The showers. Bessie and Gretchen were laughing and conversing amongst themselves as they spotted their friends approaching from the horizon. "Hey! Long time no see!" Bessie excitedly greeted each and every one of them, reserving her warmest hug for her best friend Penny.

"Bessie, you know calisthenics isn't my best subject," Penny jokingly chided her. "You should have given me a head start at least." The two laughed, and headed off together into the girls' shower. Gretchen and Nina followed suit. Raj and Clam entered the boys' shower, waiting for Lazlo to tag along. "Lazlo!" Raj called out to him. "There is little time to waste! Cleanse yourself!"

"Sure thing, Raj!" Lazlo relaxed his cloth along his shoulder as he began to walk towards the showers. Patsy stopped him, grabbing his arm before he could walk too far away.

"Lazzy... uh... yesterday, I asked if you did anything over the summer, and you never got back to me with that. You mind if I know? Ya know, from friend to friend~."

"Oh. Uh... Well, Pats..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A small little interlude. The next real chapter will be up soon.


End file.
